1st week loading dose done

[Glitterbug83]

Hello I have just finished my first 3 injections -they killed... 3 to go my level was 93.. I been feeling sick with the injections and now my legs are really irritating me, anyone else had side effects ?

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Glitterbug83

It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with. I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.

A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery. Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years. There is no set timescale as we are all different.

If you can get to see a doctor please also ask him/her to check your Folate level as this and B12 help your iron to make red blood cells and to function properly.

I am not a medically trained person but I've had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.

I wish you well

[0SK780]

HI, yes! See my recent post on how things got worse before they got better, if you have a chance just try to be good to yourself in this time and don't get freaked out, my most intense symptoms came and went within the space of about 10 days after my loading doses, although some are still lingering they are much less strong. Hang on there xx

[Cb1963]

Yep I also have had the full course of injections recently, now how strange that I was for warned that these injections would be painful, now the first one was done by my GP, and it didn't hurt one bit, so the second one was administered by the nurse and the same conversation was discussed, and either I've got no pain receptors anymore or it was a fluke every injection I had, now I suffer with peripheral neuropathy, mainly in my feet and legs, but can get bad pins and needles in my arms and hands, I forgot to ask how low my B12 was and got the injections finished with last week, whilst I noticed I was extremely tired of late it's a condition that tends to creep up on you without realising, so nothing untowards really came to light except a few more leg palpitations and a little more muscle twitching in my arms, I don't feel as tired, because I'm getting constant headaches that wake me up I'm not noticing the true benifit, but I've a feeling they do work, so I'm due back in November's for a top up I believe, been told to eat plenty of green leafy veggies, (not a big lover) so hopefully you will get through the pain barrier and start feeling better in the coming weeks, thanks

[topazrat]

I felt awful when I started the jabs. I felt sick, got thumping headaches, felt dizzy and got really upset because the very thing that I needed to stay alive felt like it was killing me. But over the course of a few weeks, the side effects wore off and now I don't get any at all, except maybe a little sleepiness for a few hours.

[Gaudygoat]

Like the others are saying, it is pretty common to get an intensifying of the symptoms after your injections and prior to self injecting I would feel worse for a few days after my three monthly injections but it does get better.

One other thing, if the injection is sore it does help if you have the ampules (many people are prescribed them and then bring them along for the injection) to heat them up to body temperature before the injection. Injecting slowly can also help but that depends on the time available to the nurse.

[Glitterbug83]

Thank you

[MoKayD]

My legs felt like I had ants inside them during my loading shot phase. It made it difficult to sleep. I started taking a magnesium supplement before bedtime and I also increased my calcium and potassium consumption. This cleared up my leg and insomnia issues.